The Mayo Clinic Diet

The Mayo Clinic Diet

The Mayo Clinic Diet is more of a life long weight loss management program than a diet. The diet can help reduce your risk of heart disease, diabetes, cancer and other illnesses.

You do the diet plan for 12 days, then take a break for two days and continue this cycle for about 10 weeks. If you follow the food pyramid, eat the recommended number of servings, and are physically active every day you should lose about 1-2 pounds a week.


There are four components to the Mayo clinic diet:

1. Eat well with the weight pyramid.
2. Increase your physical activity
3. Set goals
4. Get started and stay motivated!

What do you eat on the Mayo Clinic Diet?

You are going to use the pyramid to select the right amounts and kinds of food to consume while doing the mayo clinic diet. You can eat an unlimited amount of vegetables, fruits, whole grains, lean protein, and heart healthy fats. You may also have low fat dairy and unsaturated fats like nuts, olive oil, and canola oil.

You want to limit your carbs to 4-8 servings a day, protein and dairy to 3-7 servings, fats to 3-5 servings, and sweets only up to 75 calories a day. The consumption of grapefruit will also help begin and accelerate your fat burning process. While doing the mayo clinic diet there are no foods that are considered off limits.

What exercise is part of the Mayo Clinic Diet?

Exercise is a key component in the Mayo Clinic diet. You want to stay active whether it is a formal exercise routine or just upping your physical activity through the day. Whichever you choose you want to commit to it on a daily basis for 30-60 minutes of moderately intense physical activity. If you’ve been inactive for a long period of time or were recently injured, speak with your health care provider before beginning any activity. You will start out with 5-10 minutes a day then gradually increase to 30-60 minutes.

Physical activity helps with maintaining your weight. You need energy to exercise; you get this energy from the food you take in (calories). These calories will burn off while your being active. Cleaning the house, making the bed, doing outside chores are all examples of physical activity, doing these activities on a daily basis will burn calories that you’ve consumed. It will also improve your fitness and lower your stress. You want to break a light sweat while doing whatever activity you chose.
Setting Mayo Clinic Diet Goals

You want to set goals without setting poundage goals. For example, you may make it a goal to cut down the number of servings of high fat foods in your diet. Another goal may be to increase the amount of time you are exercising.

The Mayo Clinic diet can help those who are looking to lose weight and then maintain that weight loss.